THE PROBLEM 

The number of children needing the help of the foster care system fast outpaces the number of foster families available. Since the current foster care system only has availability for approximately 20% of the children who need a home at any given time, many of these children are forced to move frequently, sometimes up to 12 times a year. This can impede their abilities to form healthy, trusting relationships and often puts them 1-2 school years behind their peers.

Part of the reason why there aren’t enough foster families is the lack of support they receive. Even when a foster family is found for a child, they are often not prepared or equipped for the hard work of foster care ministry, and many become discouraged and quit.

MISSION POSSIBLE

It takes compassion, courage, and determination to be a foster parent. Many of the children and youth in Florida’s foster care system are in crisis mode, due to a history of abuse, neglect, or abandonment, and are in desperate need of a safe harbor and place to call home.

Fostering Our Future is committed to providing families who are called to foster with the tools, support, and education they need to provide a safe, nurturing, and loving home for these children to show them that there is hope for the future.
 
HOW FOSTERING OUR FUTURE IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Fostering Our Future at Grace Landing is a community-based, church-led partnership working to help solve Florida’s foster care problem by mobilizing, organizing, and equipping communities, churches, and families to meet the demand for more equipped, quality foster homes in Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Duval Counties. 

When foster families are successful, children find healing, families are restored, and our community is renewed. 

We work with local communities and churches to establish:

Foster Care Support Teams

Our foster care support teams consist of trained volunteers who are assigned to a particular foster family and are committed to providing meals, babysitting, transportation, or other practical help to that family. Foster families who are surrounded by a Foster Care Support Team can serve more children over longer periods of time and provide a safer and more stable environment to their nuclear family and foster children. 

Annual Parenting & Family Seminars

Our annual professional, research-based, and biblically informed parenting and family seminars address the special needs faced by foster families. Typically, these seminars also meet foster care continuing education requirements for Florida Counties/Lead Agencies.

Ministry-held events

Our ministry holds events specifically for foster families and their Foster Care Support Teams and are also invited to participate in all of Grace Landing’s social events, family strengthening, and family support environments.